Former RTÉ workers feel let down and unrepresented by Siptu ahead of Oireachtas hearing

Siptu members within RTÉ said the union’s decision to have two officials at the meeting rather than anyone who has experienced bogus self employment itself suggests 'they have taken their eye off the ball'. Picture: RTÉ.ie

Former bogus self-employed RTÉ workers have criticised their own union as not representing their best interests after it emerged that they will not be allowed to address an Oireachtas committee hearing on the subject.

Siptu members within RTÉ said the union’s decision to have two officials at the meeting rather than anyone who has experienced bogus self employment itself suggests ”they have taken their eye off the ball”.

Previously the same workers expressed frustration that the Media Committee would not be inviting any of the bogus self employed before it, despite extensive correspondence on the matter.

RTÉ is currently the subject of a review — initiated in 2021 — by Scope, the employment status section of the Department of Social Protection, regarding whether or not 695 of its contractors should have been classified as full employees.

In denying the workers the right to appear at the April 24 hearing, the Media Committee was following the advice of the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers, which said the meeting would be an inappropriate forum for such a debate as it has no powers to mediate on workplace ‘grievances’.

It had been speculated that the three RTÉ unions might use one of their two attendee allocations to facilitate the appearance of a bogus self-employed worker.

However, following a union meeting last Thursday members were informed that bogus self-employment “is a legacy issue”, and that “the invite to the committee does not mention Scope”.

The invite does however make reference to the “procedures and processes relating to the misclassification of workers’ employment status and impacts thereof”.

One union official told workers they would “reference RTÉ cases anonymously and we are hoping to literally point to people in the gallery saying these are the people affected”.

The affected workers are planning on protesting at the gates of the Dáil over their exclusion on the day of the hearing.

“It is extremely frustrating as you feel you’re paying your dues for a union that’s done nothing for you,” said one.

Siptu representative Martin Mannion said “members have not contacted the union directly or spoken to a union official concerning this issue”, adding “we would encourage members to engage with the union”.

“A lot of members are frustrated,” another RTÉ worker said however. “There’s a lot of doublespeak. Members are going to the union seeking clarification and are instead met by a wall of intransigence.”